Attending fundraisers is always a pleasure. I really enjoy supporting local causes and especially when they benefit children. There is nothing more heartwarming than knowing you can do something to make a difference in a child’s life.

The Sneaker Ball was a benefit to raise money for Jaden’s Ladder and their “Ballers to Scholars” Program. This ball took place at the beautiful Empire Restaurant & Lounge in Boston.

This time of the year we have plenty of snow and temperatures ranging in the 40’s and lower in the evening. So deciding what to wear wasn’t hard, but keeping warm was!! You know me, I’ll practically wear anything for fashion, so I wore my shorts!

When wearing sneakers I don’t normally think of dresses, but plenty of ladies rocked this look. I like to be sporty when I can, so shorts and a tank worked perfectly with my wedge sneakers!

Once I hit 40 I felt the need to ‘think’ about the way I looked at my wardrobe. I want to dress appropriate for my age, but still feel young and can look fashionable, which can be done at any age.

Looking at my clothing I ask:

~ Is the quality of my clothing good? No rips, holes, stains or faded clothing acceptable at this age.

~ Are my pieces of clothing enhancing my body? Not too long or short, tight or big but giving me the right curves and hiding all the right things.

~ Do I have the right undergarments? No panty lines are allowed and bras must be enhancing.

~ Do my shoes look fresh? There is nothing worse than scuffed or dirty shoes on a great outfit. I also make sure I have several different types of shoes with various heel size, color and style.

~ Do I have the right handbags? Don’t skimp on a great bag. You will be surprised at how many times you’ll use it if it’s a high end bag. Less expensive bags are considered trendy and basically disposable.

~ Do I have a variety of accessories? Gold, silver, chains, charms, chain link, watches, earning and trendy jewelry.

Without a doubt, I must have hair, nails and skin that look as good as possible. I wash my face twice a day, hair every other and if I don’t have a fresh manicure then I keep my nails short and clean.

I care about my body so I do work out 3-5 times a week and eat clean as possible and drink plenty of liquids. I started drinking warm water with lemon in the morning to jump start my digestive system, then coffee and light but mostly protein breakfast, tons of fruit and salads.

I do get between 7-9 hours of sleep every night and keep a pretty tight schedule during the day.

What I’ve found is that the key to knowing how to dress is balancing the outfit. If you have on a flare skirt then wear a tank top or if my shirt is short then I wear a blazer to cover up. When I wear leggings I wear a simple shirt then a longer sweater or blazer to cover up a little bit.

Right now I’m into wearing silk, blazers, layering and dressing in monochrome with one pop of color.

If you’re going to get dressed, why not do it better as you get older. Every year work a little harder on something that you could do better. It all becomes a habit and then the next thing you know you’ll look as good as you can!

If you’re getting ready for a major celebration then may I suggest you have the ‘it’ party decor, a Frilloon! It’s everything, glamorous, sweet, perfect, stunning and oh so fancy. The way it floats is so romantic with the long eye catching tassel making it fun to hold or stand on its own.

Frilloons can be used just about anywhere and add so much fun to any event as they are customizable~ any color combo you can think of or all in one color makes a great statement! Imagine an all red Frilloon for a valentine’s celebration.

I used one this New Years Eve and I’d have to say it was so eye catching because you don’t normally see such a big balloon, but add the amazing tassels and it become beautiful and so impressive.

Frilloons are by a Minneapolis company called, ‘White Peacock Styled Events’. The balloons can be shipped and will add wonder and style to your next event.

This is what you can do in 9 days and twelve hours of work! The deadline was tight, so I had to shop locally, which is limiting, but made the best of it and accomplished the goals of the space. The main requests for the room were to be functional, comfortable and colorful.

The office space is in an old brick building with new paint, floor covering & built in’s.

Lisa was willing to start fresh with her existing furniture.

This office was the last to undergo any attention, so the funds were tight. Seating was important and I was able to find an affordable set. The color of the seating went really well with the room and the neutral cushions gave me a neutral palette to work with.

I really loved the colors and texture of these Crate & Barrel pillows.

The bookcases just needed some rearranging of books and added a few other small personal touches, such as candles, plants and small vase and photos.

A sweet work of art, given to Lisa as a gift was hung above the loveseat. The art against the bricks is the first thing you see when walking to the office, but your eye immediately goes down to the blue throw that is draped perfectly between the colorful pillows.

The old desk was replaced with a sleek simple desk. The key to having an inviting office is the placement of the furniture. Floating the desk at an angle gave enough room for office supplies behind and opened up the rest of the room for a comfortable sitting area.

Prints on canvas of Lisa’s kids will be ordered and hung behind her desk.

A pop of color is just what the room needed to tie everything together! Since the chairs are neutral everything around them could be very colorful. Teal and yellow are also found in the pillows on the loveseat and of course the books. The artwork is done by a local Dover artist, Caryn of “Creative Spirit Art Studio“.

The windowsill just needed some greens and Lisa had a special elephant that was getting lost on the bookshelves and needed it’s own special place.

“As a busy professional in a new space, there was no time to shop and make decisions about design and decor. I knew I wanted a warm and inviting office space in which to work, but had no idea how to start. In fact, I was so intimidated to make a decision style-wise, I was paralyzed and found myself working in an empty office of unpacked boxes for weeks. And then, I remembered Denise! We met the very next day, established a budget, and after making a few immediate suggestions and taking a few measurements, she was on her way to shop. Within 9 days, just in time for our grand opening, I had the office of my dreams, on budget! Denise’s calm and friendly demeanor, combined with her design confidence had me feeling I was as much in a therapy session as a style consult that week. Beyond that she saved me a ton of time and most likely a ton of money as well with a finished product that would have taken me a year to pull together. Thank you Denise. You a gift. I look forward to working with you again…and again!”

Sharing a special occasion with a celebration should be well thought about. As always, great presentation is in the details. Think about the location, setting, food & drink and don’t forget the decor. Decorations can be as simple as specialized cups, plates, napkins, signs, balloons and more. It doesn’t have to be ‘over the top’ to make the party special, just keep things simple and do them well!

Some simple and affordable ideas on what I’ve put together for parties or parties I’ve attended!

Invitations~ send them out and make them personal and reflect the feel of your party! Get them made by shopping Etsy.

Table setting~ this is what people usually see first, so make sure it is set and personalized.

Cups~ can be a lot of fun as there are so many great inexpensive options and don’t forget that you can embellish them! Here are the one’s I recently made using three different stickers. All the glasses don’t have to be the same and the guest of honor should have a special cup! Don’t forget the small cups~ they can be decorated as well!

Banners & Signs~ everyone enjoys signs, especially if they can be a photo backdrop. Again, handmade is best! Be creative!

Cake~ this is where you can really go all out! All of these cakes were handmade! There is nothing more fun than a theme cake!

Other ways to make the party special~ note tree, specialty drink, table signs-photos/quotes, silverware bundle with handmade napkins.

Endless ideas on making your celebration special! Contact me if you need any ideas!! The key is to keep things easy & fun!!